where our magic intertwines (a kiss because you're mine)
by warriorSQ22
Summary: Based on this prompt: A single lily, a cliff, 3 hours. "They sent me because I don't exist." What if Regina was shot with dreamshade in Neverland too? And what if the poison itself was a curse?


A friend sent that prompt to me since I'm still trying to get over this ridiculous bout of writer's block that currently has me unable to write the story that I want to complete...

anyways, thanks for the prompt! I thought it was hilarious when I saw the 250 word limit and I tried but honestly it just didn't work out.

Takes place in Neverland.

* * *

When Regina comes to, it's to the soothing touch of a washcloth being pressed against her forehead. She groans, shifting closer towards the source as she registers the pattering of rain falling to the forest floor. The cool Neverland air that rushes over her causes gooseflesh to break out across her skin, but especially along her mysteriously bare side.

There's a body pressed up against her, mercifully offering warmth and she briefly registers the feeling of fingers dragging against her scalp. A fire burns low nearby, Regina can feel the presence of its additional warmth in the air as her magic dwindles within her rigid body. The pain that radiates up the length of the right side of her torso just about manages to pull her under again as it constricts her chest and tightens her throat. She wheezes out softly, groaning her displeasure as her lungs seem to burn with a magical sort of fire.

She squirms, oddly conscious of the body against hers and she freezes entirely when a the pad of a thumb drags slowly across her cheek. Her eyes flutter open slowly, bringing the Savior's face hovering directly over hers briefly into focus before she closes them again.

Her brows furrow as the feel of fingers in her hair abruptly stops.

"Finally." Emma's voice shakes so much with that singular word that it peaks Regina's curiosity, especially when she doesn't pull her body away. "You're such a pain in the ass."

Licking her dried lips, Regina sighs heavily and forces her eyes open once more. "What are you doing here, Miss Swan? You're getting awfully fond of stalking me but should I also add taking liberties to that list too?" She asks, hand settling along her unbuttoned jacket and ripped blouse exposing her entire side.

Green eyes follow her actions and Emma's face burns as they stumble along warm flesh encased in black lace before flitting down towards the devastation she'd caused.

"Maybe you could start by thanking me for being there to save you when we finally got to the top of this damn cliff and you fell to the ground _in a dead faint_?" Emma grumbles. "Then the rain came out of _nowhere_ and I had to drag you into this cave. You were feverish and then suddenly you were cold as ice and I didn't know what the hell to do I -"

"I'm fine." Regina combats but it's too soft and missing the sharp command usually present in her voice. Her right hand is practically useless at her side, stuck to the ground by the oppressive force of the poison that makes her lungs burn like she's inhaled ash.

"Sure you are." Emma chokes out and Regina knows she's been found out as Emma's free hand settles directly over her side. Emma abruptly pushes the rest of the battered blouse aside, exposing a gruesome network of branching blackened veins spiraling along her chest from a point at her waist and stopping just below her bra. "When the hell were you going to tell me about this?" Emma hisses, gesturing below her neckline and towards her chest where Regina could feel the poison moving in a snake like manner up her exposed torso. "You got hit with dreamshade from those kids too! And you didn't tell us!"

"What was I supposed to say?" Regina hisses. "Charming kissed Snow and suddenly he was healed with their nauseating display of _true love_. Was _I_ supposed to kiss her too?"

There's a tiny quirk to Emma's lips at Regina's quip that she immediately suppresses in favor of glaring at her. "We could have tried it."

A sharp chuckle bursts out of Regina's lungs. "Highly unlikely, dear. There was nothing left for me back at that camp."

"Henry -"

"Don't." Regina says, remembering days when she's doubted even her own love for her son. "Don't bring my son into this."

Emma's glare softens just a bit like she understands what Regina's trying to say as she curls a hand at Regina's waist. "We can find him. We can _fix_ this. Tinkerbell said that -"

"There's nothing _to_ fix. This poison is a curse, and we all know how curses get broken."

A gust of wind blows against the lip of the cave, bringing with it more of the biting Neverland air and Regina's entire body shudders. The pain in her side has her as cold as ice and simultaneously feeling like tendrils of fire were racing up her skin. It's alarming, something she's never experienced before in all her years of practicing magic and Regina whimpers pitifully as Emma moves even closer in response, pulling her further into her embrace.

There's a confusing tumble of emotions that grips her at the amount of care that went into the action as Emma drapes a threadbare blanket over them.

Regina licks her lips. "How long was I out?"

"Three hours." Emma says, the wavering of her voice betraying the stoic expression on her face. "I still don't know why you were even looking for that stupid flower -"

Emma's sentence cuts off abruptly then as her eyes grow wide. She lets out a sharp breath as realization dawns behind those green eyes.

"Tinkerbell lied." Emma says, moving up on her elbow to peer down at Regina. "That single magical lily that would give you everything you've ever wanted, even powers stronger than Pan's. It doesn't exist." Regina looks away. "You wanted to come here alone so you could -"

"Yes." Regina hisses, wanting to pull away from Emma's arms and Emma's accusing stare. "I didn't know that you would follow me."

"What else was I going to do?" Emma growls, leaning down until Regina gives in and locks eyes with her. "You told me to tell Henry you loved him, it sounded like a half assed goodbye at best, I thought -"

"You thought _what_?" Regina snipes. "That had that power been real I would have abused it? That you could _save_ me from _myself_?"

Emma falls silent at that and they both stare at each other, locked in an intense battle of wills that unnerves Regina at just how deeply Emma seems to care. Emma loses when her eyes drop to the blackened lines that had now begun to spiral along the curve of Regina's neck. That hand against Regina's waist moves further up, fingertips gliding along soft skin and tracing the lines as those emerald eyes grow even sadder.

Regina swallows thickly, so unused to being able to read this amount of emotion off of the stubborn woman.

"Snow and Charming were all too happy to see me off." She smiles self-deprecatingly. "They sent me because I don't exist. Not in their world at least. I'm nothing but a reminder of what they lost during the curse."

"Me." Emma says at last, that wandering hand curling around Regina's neck as their eyes lock once more.

"Yes." Regina answers. "They're happy to be rid of me...and you should too."

At that Emma's eyes harden. She looks away and Regina's grateful from the reprieve from those intense green eyes that unsettle her so much with their sincerity. It's all she can seem to notice, all she's ever been able to notice since the woman stumbled into her town almost a year ago. She could never truly seem to get over their allure, constantly inserting herself into the Sheriff's space so that she could look directly into them, dismayed at herself for her blatant intrigue.

"You know, before the curse broke...I felt like we were...connecting." Emma's eyes gleam, warm and dark green in the flickering embers of the firelight. Regina wonders if her own eyes give her own surprise away as Emma's seem to soften even further.

"Connecting." Regina says softly, floored by the acknowledgement of that thing that she'd always felt between them. They had never once acted on it and for Emma to bring it up now...She steels herself against the onslaught of those out of place fluttery feelings in her chest and instead focuses her attention on her unmovable arm. "Are you referring to that time my fist made contact with your face?"

Emma rolls her eyes, amused. "I'm talking about those times when you _weren't_ trying your best to antagonize me."

"But...I hated you." Regina says, eyes intently studying the Savior as she raises an eyebrow.

"Past tense huh?"

Regina doesn't comment, rather, her eyes helplessly drift over long lashes, dark entrancing eyes and flushed cheeks. She's never observed Emma up close like this before. It's a novelty moment, something Regina finds herself hoping would last a bit longer as that flutter in her chest returns when a tiny smile quirks at the corner of Emma's mouth.

The feeling immediately gives way to a choked pained cry of her own as that poison moves further up her face.

Emma shakes her head and releases a nervous breath as her eyes settle along the soft bow of Regina's lips. "I want to try something."

Regina swallows thickly, reaching a hand up to cradle Emma's cheek, ignoring how Emma seems to practically lean into her touch. "None of that matters now." She winces, drawing in a sharp breath as the poison spreads another network of dark tendrils along her cheek.

"Don't do that." Emma cuts in, that panicky lilt to her voice making Regina's heart warm as her eyes glance briefly at Regina's neck. "Don't belittle what I'm trying to say here. I could save you."

Regina shakes her head, tilting her head skyward and glancing at the ceiling of the cave before she closes her eyes. "Tell Henry I -" Fingers abruptly cover her lips and Regina forces her heavy eyelids open once more.

They lock with fierce green.

"Tell him yourself." Emma growls. "You're _not_ dying. Do you hear me?" The Sheriff's voice shakes as she swings a leg over Regina's body, bringing them even closer.

Regina's naturally protective instincts where her heart is concerned _flares_. She wants to let her damning poisonous words draw a gulf between them, to push Emma away, to let her know how obviously stupid this idea of hers was, that true love is so rare Regina's only felt like she's experienced it one singular moment in her entire life.

But all of that comes to an abrupt halt as Emma leans over her, blonde curls tumbling in a waterfall around them as Emma cradles her cheek.

It's another venture altogether and Regina's heart is suddenly trying to flutter out of the confines of her rib cage even as that pain in her chest full on amplifies. Her only movable hand shifts, just around Emma's shoulder as Emma leans down towards her and she meets Emma's lips.

The kiss is _soft_ and _achingly_ slow. Regina releases a staggering breath, floored by the feel of it as Emma's mouth moves over her own. Emma's lips are startlingly warm against Regina's cold ones as her hand curls at the nape of Regina's neck.

They don't notice the inky dark lines on Regina's skin slowly lighting up the color of gold with a faded tinge of purple highlighting the ends and receding, but they feel a warmth that engulfs them, practically hovering over their skin as they break the kiss.

Regina's eyes glow, a muted purple in response to Emma's own glowing white eyes and Regina wraps her now perfectly movable arms around Emma, who presses her face against Regina's neck.

It's another few minutes of being practically molded to each other and just breathing as the quite literal magic of the moment dissipates and they both slowly regain their bearings.

Regina's tight hold around Emma loosens somewhat and her eyes flutter open, making her aware of the faint traces of purple and gold that still flickers in sparks of long swirling ribbons in the air around them.

Emma pushes up on her elbows, a cheesy smile playing around the corner of her lips, one that blooms when Regina's eyes narrow.

"It's gone." Emma whispers, the awe in her tone making Regina breath catch as she traces the now non existent lines that had marred Regina's soft skin. "You do realize what just happened between us?" She says immediately after, a little too smug for Regina's liking.

Of course there's no mistaking _that_ type of magic. It was still around them and Regina could feel her own strength returning to her body as well as to her own magic.

Regina feigns indifference and arches an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you suddenly well versed in the meaning of various magics, Miss Swan?"

Emma's eyes narrow. "Even you can't sway me with that know it all stunt, we shared true love's -"

And suddenly with a snap of the fingers, Emma was speaking to the cold floor of the cave.

Regina appeared just a few steps away, clothing impeccable as ever, not a hair out of place but a blatant surprise on her face. "I didn't expect my magic to be quite so...instantaneous. Usually it takes a couple of seconds."

"Hey!" Emma grumbles indignantly, finally pushing up from her prone position. "I wasn't done talking to you."

Regina turns to face her, a tiny smirk playing along the corners of her lips. "Oh? Did I interrupt your ramblings?"

Emma shrugs, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans as Regina waits for her to continue speaking. She appears almost shy now, distractedly kicking at the floor and mumbling about how Regina was being especially unappreciative of all of her hard work.

Regina immediately notices the state of Emma's clothes. They had clearly been sodden, but dried in patches against Emma's body. The woman herself was covered in dust in various places no doubt from the cave floor and Emma had ripped the lower half of her tank top to produce that washcloth that had been mercifully pressed to Regina's forehead.

She's oddly touched as she regards the Sheriff through new eyes that appreciatively linger where there's a sliver of defined ab muscles peaking out from her ruined tank top. Emma notices her staring, of course she does, and her lips twist into a cocky smile as she opens her mouth to no doubt draw attention to Regina's staring.

Regina twirls her fingers in the air, and not a moment later in a swirl of purple and gold, Emma was dressed in her signature Storybrooke attire, red jacket and all. It halts whatever obnoxious quip Emma had been ready to deliver as surprised green eyes meet hers. Then Regina took a few steps that had them standing a hairsbreadth apart from each other. She reaches up hesitantly, eyes shying away from those sincere green ones as she distractedly smoothes the jacket over Emma's shoulders.

She lets her hands linger there and when she feels Emma move to link her arms around her waist, she does the same, curling her arms around Emma's neck.

It's another novelty moment, one Emma seems uncharacteristically reluctant to break with some imbecilic joke.

Regina sighs deeply and meets her eyes. "We shared true love's kiss."

Emma's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before she asks somewhat hesitantly. "What does that mean for us now?"

"Well..." Regina drawls, leaning closer as Emma's forehead presses against hers. She stops abruptly when Emma inhales sharply and suddenly there's the echo of Henry's tiny pleading voice in her head calling out to her.

"Henry." Emma murmurs.

"You heard him too?"

Emma nods and they both clutch onto each other as Henry's little whine echoes within their minds once again. Emma's magic seems to latch onto the sound and suddenly Regina's magic is being tugged along as well. Foreheads pressed together, eyes drifting shut, they're privy to a birdseye view of the entirety of Neverland as that same magic flowing between them practically floods out over the island. The echo of Henry's voice rings out again and the image in their minds shift, tumbling them through the forest at a breakneck pace, past shrubs and over trees, past an army of lost boys that glow a muted red along with the Charmings and the pirate, dodging hundreds of grey shadowy blurbs and focusing on a particularly pitch black blurb hovering over a tiny gold and purple blurb.

The image slowly focuses as the magic within Henry pulses and he reaffirms to the pre-pubescent pixie demon hovering over him that _his moms were coming to get him_.

Emma gasps and suddenly the image blurs and it's gone as quickly as it had appeared.

Regina swallows thickly, pulling back just a little. "Y-You saw that too...right?"

Emma nods, lips pressed into a firm line as her forehead creases with worry. "He sounds so terrified." She murmurs, lips trembling as her eyes fill with helpless tears.

"He's a smart boy, he know's we're coming for him."

"I swear Regina, if Pan so much as harms one single hair on the kid's head..."

"I know. I feel the same." Regina glances down at Emma's arms as her untamed Savior magic seems to ripple in waves that originate from her palms tangled together around Regina's waist. Apparently it's changed color too, bearing that same gold that flickered with tinges of purple magic that Regina had newly observed in her own and then Henry with that vision.

Her eyes immediately find Emma's and that determined look in those eyes is marred by a bit of fear as she abruptly detangles her arms from around Regina and stares at them in what Regina surmises is quickly rising panic and disbelief.

"How am I doing this?" Emma murmurs. "I can't control it...I -"

"It's not difficult, Emma." Regina says softly, letting her hands curl around the Savior's biceps as she feels her own magic flickering to life in response to Emma's subconscious use of magic. But she's got a careful hold on it from years of practise. She closes her eyes and infuses her own calm upon Emma, which immediately makes the magic recede at that origin point in Emma's chest, right where her heart is.

That alone is enough to scare Regina, making this true love thing hovering between them all the more real. It's just a lot on the intense side and completely overwhelming.

"But I...I don't know how to, I mean I -" Regina cuts her off with a kiss. It was an abrupt one, one meant to be brief and silence Emma so that she couldn't continue with her spiraling thoughts. But Regina didn't think just how well it would work in distracting the _both_ of them.

Emma practically sinks into the kiss, lips parting delicately against Regina's mouth as Regina's fingers curl in long blonde curls. It's ridiculous just how much Regina happens to feel in this moment, like the very air was filled with the promise of joy and wonder and happiness and all of those nauseatingly cliché musings about love the Charmings were so famous for declaring to each other. It's even present in the gentle touch of Emma's hands on her body and she has to prevent an out of place whimper from bubbling to the surface when Emma's warm heated tongue teases against her own. She kisses her back just as fiercely, a torrent of feelings she never let herself fully unveil coalescing in her chest and drowning out the part of her that's legitimately afraid of the intensity of this thing between them.

The soft contented sigh Emma makes against her mouth and the whisper of lashes against her cheek sends tingles across Regina's skin that feels suspiciously like magic. It hovers in the air over them and Regina idly wonders if it's drawing any attention.

Emma's fingers curl against her hips, just shy of dipping beneath the rise of her blouse and Regina breaks away from the kiss, a little breathless when Emma sort of swoons in her embrace. It's endearing just how affected they both seem to be and Regina can't believe that just a few hours ago she'd been so angry at the world, angry at the injustices in her life that had her contemplating what would have been her own tragic demise had it not been for the stubborn woman in her arms who'd refused to give up on her.

She places a palm against Emma's flushed cheek, watching intently as those green eyes flutter open, that magic of Emma's making her eyes glow before dissipating entirely and leaving that cool intense green.

"Breathe." Regina says softly. Emma nods and lets out a shaky breath.

"What was that for?"

"To thank you…for saving me." Regina starts. "...but also to shut you up."

Emma smiles, wide and toothy and still way too cheesy for Regina to return without feeling like she'd somehow be blackmailed. But it's also difficult reigning in the high her emotions seem to be spiralling on and she can't help the involuntary quirk to the corners of her lips in response.

"It's in the job description." Emma smirks, wrapping an arm around Regina and striking the most idiotic superhero pose. "All in a day's work."

Regina lifts an eyebrow. "Don't flatter yourself, dear. You're semi competent at best." She drawls idly.

" _Excuse_ me?" Emma replies, somewhat offended. "You should be paying homage to these lips Madam Mayor, _they_ saved your life and broke that curse."

"Yes I do seem to recall that you love relying on your mouth to break curses."

Emma's mouth dramatically falls open in response. "Hey! I don't hear any complaints."

"Because so far it's just been Henry and myself." Regina says and Emma smiles but it dims considerably at the mention of their son.

Regina disentangles herself from the Savior and as Emma slings the survival pack Snow had been adamant that she keep on her back, they finally move on over towards the entrance of the cave.

The Neverland jungle sprawls out below the base of the cliff, spanning for miles and miles of wilderness. Regina thinks of their son out there, all alone and terrified and her heart aches with sadness and anger in equal measure. Her gaze flits over to Emma and a similar expression crosses the Savior's face as she glances out into the trees.

"We're going to defeat Pan and get our son back." Regina says.

"So he's _our_ son now huh?" Emma's eyes narrow playfully at her and Regina ducks her head suddenly demure.

She shakes off the uncharacteristic reaction and instead narrows her eyes right back at Emma Swan, intent on delivering a snarky quip.

The warm palm instantly covering her cheek with the lovely feel of _that_ magic, _their_ true love magic makes Regina sigh blissfully instead as dark eyes meet electric green.

"I'll show you how to control your magic."

A newfound determination crosses over Emma's face as she nods and tangles their fingers together. "Let's go find our son."

* * *

I really love twisting stuff that happened in the Neverland arc. And true love kisses. Thank you for reading!


End file.
